Best Best: Baby boom: Grunion visit for spawning season

LA JOLLA ---- It's unlikely the grunion that arrive on shore
this time every year in Southern California care much about the
humans who observe them. After all, grunion have their own agenda
once they arrive.

Now is the time when the silvery fish arrive onshore following
high tides for their annual spawning ritual, and night owls (well,
people, not real owls) are invited to come and watch (but not
touch).

La Jolla's Birch Aquarium at Scripps leads several grunion-run
nights each spring, offering an educational presentation to explain
the fish ritual, show how the eggs hatch and then lead the group to
an area with the best spawning activity (grunion prefer dark, sandy
beaches with few rocks).

Grunion are silver-colored fish 5 to 7 inches long and are
related to the jack smelt. They come onshore to lay their eggs in
the sand a day or two before or after a full moon. The female will
burrow her tail into the sand to lay up to 3,000 eggs, while the
male fish wraps himself around the female to fertilize the eggs.
She then wriggles free and they both return to the sea with the
next wave. The eggs incubate for two weeks and hatch on the next
high tide.

While some fish fans have been known to grab the fish after
they've laid their eggs, the La Jolla Coastal Reserve is a
"no-take" area, so catching them is forbidden.

The grunion run dates differ each year, depending on the lunar
calendar. This year's first grunion run is on April 5 and the last
takes place June 3. Cost to attend the two-hour Birch events is
$12. The events begin at 10:30 p.m. (11 p.m. May 19) and include an
educational presentation followed by a moonlight stroll along the
grunion-covered beach. The events take place near the beach, not at
the clifftop aquarium. Information on location will be available
when reservations are made. Reservations are required; call
858-534-7336 or visit aquarium.ucsd.edu.

But you don't have to join a tour to see the grunion running.
Anyone with a flashlight, warm clothing and ability to stay up past
bedtime can take part in the spring ritual on his own.

Birch Aquarium at Scripps is at 2300 Expedition Way in La Jolla.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $12 for adults, $9
for seniors and $8.50 for youths ages 3 to 17. Children 2 and under
are free. Call 858-534-3474.

Grunion Run programs listed below. Note: The runs do
not
take place at the aquarium.